…Features 9ice, Jide Kosoko, Mr. Latin, Others

The defunct popular TV show, The Village Headmaster, would return to the network service of the Nigerian Television Authority on Sunday by 7 pm after 34 years, its Director-General, Yakubu Mohammed, has said.

The programme which was Nigeria’s longest-running television soap opera showed on the NTA between 1968 to 1988.

Mohammed announced its return in Abuja on Friday during the official launch of the TV series programme, while the audience erupted in jubilation.

He said it would start showing this Sunday on NTA, AIT and WAP TV.

On NTA, it is scheduled for 8-9pm, AIT on Wednesday 9-10pm, and WAP TV on Friday 8-9pm.

The Village Headmaster, originally a radio drama series, was created by the late Chief Olusegun Olusola and produced by Dejumo Lewis.

The soap opera showed on the NTA from 1968 to 1988, and starred Ted Mukoro as the original Headmaster.

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The programme is currently being jointly sponsored by the NTA and Wale Adenuga Productions.

To maintain its originality, quality, feel and philosophy, the renewed cast has been super-packed with the choicest names in the industry, featuring some of the founding members of the series notably Kabiyesi, Dejumo Lewis, Ibidun Allison (Amebo), Dan Imodu (Dagbolu), Dele Osawe (Teacher Fadile), to mention but a few.

Other prominent members of the new cast include 9ice, Chris Iheuwa, Mr Latin, Funky Mallam, Jide Kosoko, Omo Ibadan, Okele, Fathia Balogun, Rycardo Agbor, Yemi Shodimu, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Jide Alabi, and many others.

It was gripping, memorable – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the drama series was at one time undoubtedly Nigeria’s first-longest-running television drama series which was produced by NTA and ran consecutively every week for decades.

He said, ‘‘The series was set in Oja, a fictitious Yoruba village, while the series was woven around the lives of the villagers from royalty to education and so on. The programme captivated viewers and it was difficult to look away from the TV set while the drama series was showing.

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“The Village Headmaster was an addiction for many television viewers across Nigeria. Lovers of the sitcom rushed home by 8pm every Sunday to watch it.

“Each of the stories of the series was gripping and every episode was memorable.

‘‘The programme was the first major show since the country gained independence and was also the longest soap opera in production for many years until 1984.”

According to him, several efforts made to revive the programme were not successful.

“The one that readily comes to mind was in 2001 when NTA made a concerted effort to reintroduce The Village Headmaster.

“The viewing public was seriously excited. That excitement was however dashed. Little did we know that those hiccups were the ingredients that would eventually give a lasting hope for the series,” Mohammed added.

On Friday, September 4, 2020, the NTA led by the Minister and CEO of Wale Adenuga Productions, Chief Wale Adenuga, signed an MoU that officially marked the beginning of a partnership to bring “The Village” back on television.

Mohammed said many episodes of the programme were in the can and ready for the pleasure of the viewing public.

The Minister, however, called for a minute of silence for some of the members of the original cast who have passed on and therefore were no longer alive to witness the rebirth of the iconic series.

Prominent among them was Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Segun Olusola, who created the series as a staff of the then Western Nigeria Television – now NTA Ibadan.

Telecommunications service provider and sponsor of the TV series, Globacom, on Wednesday, announced the return of the classic TV series after it was created over four decades ago.

According to Globacom, the drama series was rested in 1988 but had undergone a reboot.

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The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, said with the return of the TV Drama Series, viewers would watch it with a great sense of nostalgia, the rich cultural, educative and informative content.

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, said the return of the TV Show was good for Nigeria, especially now that the country was divided and had lost the original values it was known for.

While calling the promoters to focus on quality content, he urged Nigerians to take the opportunity it offers to rebuild and reunite the country to its past glory.

PUNCH.